Three-way double light bulb adapter



July 30, 1963 1.. M. TESMER 3,099,507

THREE-WAY DOUBLE LIGHT BULB ADAPTER Filed July 20, 1962 INVENTOR.

LEO/V4.80 M T615 MEJQ United States Patent 3,099,507 THREE-WAY DOUBLE LIGHT BULB ADAPTER Leonard M. Tesmer, 1475 Willis Place, Colorado Springs, Colo. Filed July 20, 1962, Ser. No. 211,288 8 Claims. (Cl. 339155) This invention relates to a novel three-way double light bulb adapter for electric lamps.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simple, low-cost, and efficient device of the kind indicated which provides for the use of two ordinary one- 'way light bulbs in the existing three way mogul and medium bulb sockets of floor and table lamps, so as to reduce the cost of bulb replacement in the event of failure, and so as to enable the selective use of one-way bulbs of different wattages and/or colors, for different desired lighting and decorative effects.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an adapter of the present invention, showing, in phantom lines, internal contact strips, and one-way light bulbs engaged in the sockets of the adapter;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of a modified form having a mogul size base and medium size sockets.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated adapter, generally designated comprises a Y-shaped body of suitable non-conductive material, and preferably formed of two substantially similar sections 12 and 14, which are fixed together, by any suitable means, after the contact elements have been installed therein.

The adapter body comprises a straight vertical and preferably cylindrical stem 16, on whose upper end is a V-shaped head which is formed with two similar and upwardly divergent first and second sockets 18 and 20, respectively, which contain conductive threaded sleeves 22 and 24, respectively. As shown in FIGURE 4, the stem 16 is reduced in diameter, at its lower end, as indicated at 26, and thereon is fixedly circumposed a threaded conductive ferrule 28. The lower end 30 of the ferrule 28 is substantially flush with the lower end 32 of the stem 16.

A flat annular intermediate contact 34 is suitably fixed to the lower end 3%) of the stem '16 and is concentrically spaced from the ferrule outer contact 28. The stem 16 has an axial downwardly extending boss 36, on its lower end 30, on whose lower end is suitably fixed, a center contact 38. In this arrangement the center contact 38 is spaced below the intermediate contact 34, for effective and separate engagement with related portions of a threeway light bulb socket (not shown).

A first vertical passage 40 is formed in the stem 16 and the first socket 118 and contains a first contact strip 42, which is fixed, at its lower end, to the center contact 38. The first contact strip 42 is formed, on its upper end, with a reclining U-shaped spring contact 44, which is positioned within and extends above a centered recess 46, provided in the bottom of the socket 18.

A second contact strip 48 extends through a second ice vertical passage Ed, in the stem 16 and the second socket 20, at one side of the passage 46 and first contact strip 42, and is fixed, at its lower end, to the annular intermediate contact 34. The upper end of the strip 48 is formed with a reclining U-shaped spring contact 52 which is positioned within and extends above a centered recess 54, formed on the bottom of the second socket '20.

A third vertical contact strip 56 is positioned between the contact strips 42 and 43, in a passage 58, in the stem 16, and is laterally spaced from the strips 42 and 48, as shown in FIGURE 4. At its lower end, the third contact strip has an outwardly and downwardly angled lower end portion 60, located in a similarly angled portion 62 of the passage 58, which is fixed, at its lower end, to the outer contact or ferrule 28, by means of a downward extension 64, which is engaged with and conformably engages the inner surface of the upper part of the ferrule 28. On the upper end of the third contact strip 56 is a laterally inwardly extending terminal 66 which extends across the upper end of the passage 58 and has its free end engaged in a recess 68, the side edges of the terminal 66 being fixed to and in contact with the conductive threaded sleeves 22 and 24. First and second one-way light bulbs 70 and 72 are shown engaged in the sockets 18 and 20, with their ferrules 74 engaged with the sleeves and with their base contacts 76 engaged with the spring contacts 44 and 52.

In operation, the outer contact or ferrule 28 being threaded in the threaded sleeve of a three-way socket (not shown) initial operation or click of the switch of the three-way socket puts the ferrule 28 and the center contact 38 in circuit with and energizes the first light bulb 7G. The second click energizes the second light bulb 72 and the third click energizes both bulbs together.

The modified form of adapter, shown in FIGURE 5, and generally designated 16a, is similar to that of FIG- URES 1 through 4, except that its base ferrule 28a is larger in diameter than the ferrule 28 of FIGURES 1 to 4 and is adapted to be screwed into the existing mogul sockets of lamps and other fixtures. The sockets 22a and 24a are of the same medium size as the sockets 22 and 24, with the desirable result that adapter 10a can be used with ordinary light bulbs in the sockets 22a and 24a, instead of having to supply and use mogul bulbs in the mogul sockets of such lamps and fixtures, at correspondingly greater expense.

Although there have been shown and described preferred forms of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A three-way double light bulb adapter for a threeway lamp socket, comprising a dielectric body having a stem and first and second one-way bulb sockets, said stem having an outer contact adapted to engage the lamp socket, an inter-mediate contact spaced from the outer contact, and an inner contact spaced from the other contacts, said intermediate and inner contacts being adapted to be severally engaged by contact elements of the lamp socket, a first contact strip extending in the adapter body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending within the body from the outer contact, said sockets having threaded conductive sleeves with which the third contact strip is connected.

2. A three-way double light bulb adapter comprising a dielectric body having a stem having a lower end, first and second one-way light bulb sockets on the upper end of the stem, said sockets having conductive threaded sleeves therein, a threaded conductive outer contact circumposed on the stem at its lower end, an annular intermediate contact fixed to the lower end of the stem and spaced from the outer contact, a centered boss on the lower end of the stem having a centered inner contact thereon, said inner contact being concentrically spaced from and spaced below the intermediate contact, a first contact strip extending in said body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending in the body from the outer contact, said third contact strip having a terminal on its upper end located between and in contact with the sleeves in the sockets.

3. A three-way double light bulb adapter comprising a dielectric body having a stem having a lower end, first and second one-way light bulb sockets on the upper end of the stem, said sockets having conductive threaded sleeves therein, a threaded conductive outer contact circumposed on the stem at its lower end, an annular intermediate contact fixed to the lower end of the stem and spaced from the outer contact, a centered boss on the lower end of the stem having a centered inner contact thereon, said inner contact being concentrically spaced from and spaced below the intermediate contact, a first contact strip extending in said 'body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending in the body from the outer contact, said third contact strip having a terminal on its upper end located between and in contact with the sleeves in the sockets, said sockets having centered recesses in their bottoms, said spring contacts being positioned in the recesses and extending thereabove.

4. A three-way double light bulb adapter comprising a dielectric body having a stem having a lower end, first and second one-way light bulb sockets on the upper end of the stem, said sockets having conductive threaded sleeves therein, a threaded conductive outer contact circurnposed on the stem at its lower end, an annular intermediate contact fixed to the lower end of the stern and spaced from the outer contact, a centered boss on the lower end of the stem having a centered inner contact thereon, said inner contact being concentrically spaced from and spaced below the intermediate contact, a first contact strip extending in said body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending in the body from the outer contact, said third contact strip having a terminal on its upper end located between and in contact with the sleeves in the sockets, said sockets having centered recesses in their bottoms, said spring contacts being positioned in the recesses and extending thereabove, said, spring contacts being reclining U-shapes on the upper ends of the first and second contact strips.

5. A three-Way double light bulb adapter comprising a dielectric body having a stem having a lower end, first and second one-way light bulb sockets on the upper end of the stern, said sockets having conductive threaded sleeves therein, a threaded conductive outer contact circumposed on the stem at its lower end, an annular intermediate contact fixed to the lower end of the stem and spaced from the outer contact, a centered boss on the lower end of the stem having a centered inner contact thereon, said inner contact being concentrically spaced from and spaced below the intermediate contact, a first contact strip extending in said body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending in the body from the outer contact, said third contact strip having a terminal on its upper end located between and in contact with the sleeves in the sockets, said stem having a head on its upper end, in which said first and second sockets are formed.

6. A three-way double light bulb adapter for a threeway lamp socket, comprising a dielectric body having a stem and first and second one-way bulb sockets, said stem having an outer contact adapted to engage the lamp socket, an intermediate contact spaced from the outer contact, and an inner contact spaced from the other contacts, said intermediate and inner contacts being adapted to be severally engaged by contact elements of the lamp socket, a first contact strip extending in the adapter body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending within the body from the outer contact, said sockets having threaded conductive sleeves with which the third con-tact strip is connected, said outer contact being a threaded ferrule on the end of the stem remote from the bulb sockets, the sleeves and the ferrule being of the same diameters.

7. A three-way double light bulb adapter for a threeway lamp socket, comprising a dielectric body having a stem and first and second one-way bulb sockets, said stern having an outer contact adapted to engage the lamp socket, an intermediate contact spaced from the outer contact, and an inner contact spaced from the other contacts, said intermediate and inner contacts being adapted to be severally engaged by contact elements of the lamp socket, a first contact strip extending in the adapter body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending Within the body from the outer contact, said sockets having threaded conductive sleeves with which the third contact strip is connected, said outer contact being a threaded ferrule on the end of the stem remote from the sockets, said sleeves being smaller in diameter than the ferrule.

8. A three-way double light bulb adapter for a threeway lamp socket, comprising a dielectric body having a stem and first and second one-way bulb sockets, said stem having an outer contact adapted to engage the lamp socket, an intermediate contact spaced from the outer contact, and an inner contact spaced from the other contacts, said intermediate and inner contacts being adapted to be severally engaged by contact elements of the lamp socket, a first contact strip extending in the adapter body from the inner contact to the first socket, a second contact strip extending in the body from the intermediate contact to the second socket, said contact strips having spring contacts centered in the sockets, and a third contact strip extending within the body from the outer contact, said sockets having threaded conductive sleeves with which the third contact strip is connected, said outer contact being a threaded ferrule on the end of the stern remote from the sockets, said sleeves being smaller in diameter than the ferrule, said sleeves being diametered for medium bulbs said said ferrule being diametered for a mogul socket.

No references cited. 

1. A THREE-WAY DOUBLE LIGHT BULB ADAPTER FOR A THREEWAY LAMP SOCKET, COMPRISING A DIELECTRIC BODY HAVING A STEM AND FIRST AND SECOND ONE-WAY BULB SOCKETS, SAID STEM HAVING AN OUTER CONTACT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE LAMP SOCKET, AN INTERMEDIATE CONTACT SPACED FROM THE OUTER CONTACT, AND AN INNER CONTACT SPACED FROM THE OTHER CONTACTS, SAID INTERMEDIATE AND INNER CONTACTS BEING ADAPTED TO BE SEVERALLY ENGAGED BY CONTACT ELEMENTS OF THE LAMP SOCKET, A FIRST CONTACT STRIP EXTENDING IN THE ADAPTER BODY FROM THE INNER CONTACT TO THE FIRST SOCKET, A SECOND CONTACT STRIP EXTENDING IN THE BODY FROM THE INTERMEDIATE CONTACT 